Sean McNamara Movies

In the hit 1992 romance-on-the-ice comedy The Cutting Edge, the slightly arrogant hockey player Doug Dorsey (D.B. Sweeney) and the snotty prima-donna ice skater Kate Moseley (Moira Kelly) found themselves falling in love during a figure skating championship, while constantly at each other's throats. Fourteen years have passed since the marriage of Kate and Doug, and in Cutting Edge 2: Going for the Gold the direct-to-video sequel to the original film, we meet the couple's teenage daughter, figure skater Jackie (Christy Carlson Romano, Everyone Says I Love You). Ironically, Jackie finds herself traveling in the footsteps of her mom, when an ankle injury on the ice forces her to take on a new partner. She soon teams up with Alex Harrison (Ross Thomas, CSI) an adrenaline-junkie surfer and in-line skater. And though Alex is officially tied to another girl, the partnership takes an intriguing turn when the two opt to go doubles for a skating championship, just like Jackie's folks once did. Soon, hints of romance between them fill the air. Could these two acerbic, bickering opposites ever find lasting happiness? The Cutting Edge 2: Going for the Gold features a cameo by world-champion figure skater Oksana Baiul. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

Based on the popular (and recently canceled) Disney Channel sitcom Even Stevens, this made-for-TV movie was filmed in 2002 under the title The Stevens Get Even. On this occasion, the Sacramento-based Stevens family is reeling from a succession of setbacks, not least of which is the breakup of the romance between teenaged daughter Ren Stevens (Christy Romano) and her boyfriend -- a disaster largely brought about when Ren's pesky kid brother, Louis (Shia LaBeouf), sabotages Ren's junior-high graduation. At their most vulnerable, the kids' parents Eileen (Donna Pescow) and Steve (Tom Virtue) are highly receptive to fast-talking vacation agent Miles McDermott (Tim Meadows), who sells the family an inexpensive trip to an island paradise. En route, the Stevens' plane crashes on a seemingly uncharted isle, forcing the family, and the other passengers, to fend for themselves. What nobody but the duplicitous McDermott knows is that the crash was carefully rigged, so that the Stevens would be unwitting contestants on a Survivor-like TV reality series. In addition to the aforementioned Romano, LaBeouf, Pescow, and Tom Virtue, other carryovers from the original sitcom include Nick Spano as Donnie Stevens and Steven Anthony Lawrence as the family's wacky next-door neighbor, Beans. Filmed on location in Hawaii, The Even Stevens Movie made its Disney Channel debut on June 13, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A chimp helps bring together a boy and his father -- as well as putting America in the lead of the space race -- in this drama, which was inspired by the true story of the Mercury-Redstone 2 mission in 1961. Dr. Wilhelm von Huber (James Woods) is a German expatriate scientist living in the United States in the early '60s who has been hired by the fledging National Aeronautics and Space Administration to help America launch its newly formed space program. Von Huber is recently widowed, and his son, Wilhelm II (Alex D. Linz) -- known as Billy to most of his friends -- is still dealing with the loss of his mother. The often cold and exacting Dr. von Huber is having trouble reaching out to his son, and Billy is having a hard time making friends at his new school in Florida. One day, while dropping by NASA's labs to visit his father, Billy discovers a secret: NASA has previously been using unmanned missiles in their tests, but before taking the giant step of sending a man into space, they're going to try an experimental mission with a chimpanzee on board to get a better idea of how people might be affected by space travel. Dr. Donni McGuinness (Annabeth Gish), NASA's head veterinarian, makes a deal with Billy: If he promises not to tell anyone about NASA's secret project, she'll give him a part-time job helping to train Mac the Chimp for his big flight. Billy soon becomes quite attached to his new friend Mac, and discovers it's harder than he imagined to send him into space without knowing if he'll come back safely. Race to Space also features William Atherton and William Devane, while Tyler the chimp appears as Mac. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

The misadventures of the Stevens teens are the focus of this Disney Channel confection. Louis Stevens (Shia LaBeouf) is a maladroit freshman who worships Jay Leno; his older sister Ren (Christy Romano) is a dean's-list junkie who plots out the day's coursework with her monogrammed Palm Pilot. Gross-out humor ensues when the siblings scheme against each other to get the upper hand at school and at home. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide

Randy Quaid, Tim Redwine and Henry Winkler star in this sci-fi adventure for the family about a group of outcast teenagers who run afoul of an evil scientific genius. However, they are able to get ahold of his latest invention -- a special suit that gives superpowers to whomever wears it. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Jim Varney stars in this comedy as Carl Banks, a famous counterfeiter who has escaped from prison. However, while he eludes the Police, the FBI and the Mafia, he manages to get caught in a trap 10-year-old Timmy Taylor has set in back yard. Figuring it would be a lot more exciting than summer school, Timmy keeps Carl captive in his tree house, hoping to at least hold him in stir over the weekend so he can bring him to school for show and tell on Monday. But hiding an escaped fugitive turn out to be more work than he expected. Also stars Tom Bosley and Debby Boone. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Christopher Hanson directed this comedy set in a Colorado tourist ski area where three stoned, leftover hipsters from another decade dream schemes, take tokes, and ponder the fate of their pet pig Scraps, won in a holiday contest. Al (Geoffrey Hanson) gets involved in a dope deal with hopes of raising funds to buy a house for his disabled-war-veteran brother. Haunted by the ski-accident death of his girlfriend, Tom (Buck Simmonds) is unable to establish a relationship with someone new. The screenplay was inspired by the story Spam, by Sean McNamara. Music by Taj Mahal and the Phantom Blues Band. Shown at the 1998 Slamdance Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

This family-oriented fairy tale was shot on-location in Romania and is set in medieval times. There teenage Prince Davin and his father engage in a playful joust that unfortunately results in injury for the King who eventually dies, not because of the joust but because his devious head knight El El has been slowly poisoning him. As soon as the king dies, El El claims the crown until poor guilt wracked Davin comes of age. Under El El's ruthless reign, the poor peasants fall into a grim oppressed life. To make it worse, the villainous king claims he is acting under the orders of Davin. Eventually Davin figures out El El's treachery and confronts him. El El decides Davin must die and so the boy flees with only his father's perplexing last words to guide him. Just before he expired, the King whispered of a statuette of the mythical Galgameth, a giant metal-munching dragon that will faithfully serve the one who sheds tears upon the statue. Though big and clunky looking, Galgameth has a certain homely charm that will appeal to children. With the giant monster's help, good Prince Davin is able to ensure a happy ending for his kingdom. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide